The Miami Heat entered play today a surprisingly human 4-3 in 2013, but a visit from the Milwaukee Bucks looks to have cured all that ailed the two-time defending NBA champions. After an absolutely dominant victory such as the Heat’s 118-95 win over the Bucks, it is hard to argue that this team has lost anything from the past two seasons.

LeBron James led the way dropping in 33 points in roughly three quarters of action, making the offense the focal point in this victory for the Heat. James was absolutely on fire, shooting 13 for 21 on the night and putting his entire bag of tricks on display.

Opting to use the post attack early on, LeBron stepped back behind the arc in the third quarter as he sparked the Miami Heat to a lead that the Bucks would never be able to come back from. Dropping 17 of those points in the third quarter, James notched his best 12 minutes stretch of the young season in the win.

And LeBron’s offense should take nothing away from the stellar Miami Heat defense that was on display against the Bucks. Holding their opponent to under 100 points and playing at a level that one would expect from a team on the verge of becoming a dynasty we will remember for generations, the Heat were able to force Milwaukee into committing 18 turnovers while shooting just 42 percent from the field.

Perhaps the most staggering stat of the night was that the Miami Heat defense allowed the Bucks starters to put up just 35 points on the night. 35! I can’t remember the last time an NBA team’s starting five was that ineffective. Sure, Milwaukee may be just 2-4 on the young season, but they were a playoff team a year ago. 35!

LeBron and the rest of the Miami Heat starter’s performance could have been more impressive statistically had the Milwaukee Bucks put up a fight in this one. With a 22 point lead going into the fourth quarter, the final period essentially turned into an exhibition match between the two benches. The Heat rested their starters, a wise move considering LeBron has already been slown by a back ailment this year.